Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Day in Old New Castle May 17

Visitors in costume at a Day in Old New Castle event in the 1930s
Visitors in costume at a Day in Old New Castle event in the 1930s
Visitors in costume at a Day in Old New Castle event in the 1930s
Visitors in costume at a Day in Old New Castle event in the 1930s

On May 17, 2025, Day in Old New Castle celebrates 100 years of festivals allowing locals and visitors to tour the city’s historic homes and landmarks. 

Day in Old New Castle began its annual festivities in 1925 and is believed to be the longest-running home and garden tour in America. In previous years, the event hosted everything from carriage and pony rides, parade floats and historic ships docked on the waterfront to Revolutionary reenactments, dog beauty pageants and Brandywine Valley SPCA adoptions. The 1930s saw approximately 4,000 attendees annually, with cars parked on the New Castle Green. Another year saw 300 volunteer docents and tour guides listed in the event’s program.  

This year’s celebration planning is led by Antoinette Maccari-Klingsberg, historic interpreter at the New Castle Court House Museum, Cindy Snyder, former New Castle Court House Museum site supervisor, and members of the New Castle Historical Society. Snyder described Day in Old New Castle as a source of community pride and “New Castle’s day of hospitality” to its surrounding communities.  

The theme of Day in Old New Castle’s 100th anniversary celebration is “The Best of 100 Years,” highlighting a century of excitement with an emphasis on the citywide festival’s earliest years. Musicians will play music from the 1920s and ‘30s on the Green and in surrounding local businesses, and Zollies Jazz Cucina will host a 1920s-themed soiree with a live jazz band and specialty cocktails inspired by the decade. 

The New Castle Court House Museum will feature performances from the Delaware Music School. Tours of the museum will focus on the building’s historic roots as a tearoom, once visited in the 1930s by child actress Shirley Temple. Vehicles from the 1900s through the 1940s will be on display outside the Delaware Antique Auto Club, and food trucks joining the festivities will offer cuisine from a variety of vendors.

Day in Old New Castle’s 100th year celebration will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available online at historicnewcastle.com or can be purchased on site.